Tried to work on the boat today, but the smell - oh my.
- Thread starter HanBan
- Start date
Everyone recommends this and so why not purchase and read? Very reliable stuff.
http://shop.sailboatowners.com/prod.php?53615
Charles
http://shop.sailboatowners.com/prod.php?53615
Charles
Hannah,
I think that anyone who owns a boat has to deal with odors.
Peggy's book, that Charles referenced on the preceding post, is priceless. I have read it a couple of times and it will address your problem(s). It's a process of elimination, try one source and rectify, then move on to the next culprit.
I have found the biggest problem on my boat, as well as the Beneteau's that I chartered for 6 years, is the holding tank.
The tank vents are probably not as large a diameter as they should be and I believe that is one of Peggy's biggest recommendations to address. Given that, the charter boats had the holding tanks emptied and flushed about 3 times at the end of each charter. When getting on board at the beginning on the charter, everything was fine until we started using the head. The foul odors arrived and we handled it by just closing the door on the head and leaving a port open to ventilate the head.
I purchased my boat when it was 5 years old. Same problem, the head was disgusting. I flushed it with detergents, disinfectants, marine holding tank chemicals, repeatedly rinsed with a water hose, etc until I finally got the tank clean, decontaminated, and odor free. Since then, we rarely use the head. I am sure the hoses are permeated and I will get around to changing them at some point; however, the head odor is now completely gone.
Needless to say, since your boat is new to you, a thorough cleaning is in order. Wipe everything down with a damp rag with a very dilute bleach solution and use a pleasant smelling furniture polish on all the interior wood surfaces (all Beneteau's have a sealed and highly polished interior). I use an old product "Formby's lemon oil" it smells good and is supposed to kill and impede mold growth, the charter company that I dealt with used lemon Pledge. Clean the bilges and and wipe down with a disinfecting spray or diluted bleach. Make sure your bilge stays dry and fix any sources of leaks that drain into the bilge. Many air conditioner installers route the condensate drain lines into the bilge and you need to get rid of that by installing a small sump with dedicated pump or perhaps install a "condensator" system that works on a venturi principle that dumps the condensate along with the cooling water overboard.
The cushions are another source of bad odors; they absorb all of the mal-odors that is inside the cabin. Remove them from the boat and scrub them with carpet cleaner (test a small area first), vacuum dry and place them outside in the sun for a couple of days. After they are thoroughly dry, spray them with Scotch Guard.
The final thing is adequate ventilation, you've got to have air circulation to inhibit mold growth. I know that your boat has a dorade vent and vents in the companionway boards, but that isn't enough, leave your head overhead hatch partially open and either set the AC system on dehumidify so that it circulates the air every 12 hours or place a small circulating fan inside to keep the air moving.
Even after doing all of the above its still going to smell like a boat to some degree, but very much tolerable.
Some kind of solid air freshener should overcome any slight lingering odors. Again, definitely buy Peggy's book, it will guide you step by step on how to treat odors by attacking them at the source and also reference the products that will make a difference. Needless to say, keeping the odors at bay is an ongoing process.....good luck!
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I think you need to read my book again...at least Part IV "Getting Rid of Boat Odors." Unless a tank, or a fitting in a tank, is leaking, it's rarely if ever the source of odor INSIDE a boat...'cuz odor from inside the tank has only one place to go--out the tank vent.
The two most common sources of odor INSIDE a boat are permeated sanitation hoses and a bilge in serious need of a thorough cleaning. Either one can make a whole boat smell like a swamp or even a sewer. But it sounds like mold is your biggest problem.
Mold is a separate issue. All odors are strongest at their source and I suspect you'll find that the cushions and mattresses are a major culprit. Fresh air and sunshine are mold's worst enemies...so pull out all the soft goods that you can and put 'em out on deck in the sun for a day. That won't get rid of it 100%, but it'll help a lot..we'll deal with the rest of the job later.
Drawers and lockers are another source of mold & mildew...pull all the drawers out and wipe every surface--on the drawers and in the cabinets and inside the lockers down with a weak solution of bleach and water. Put everything you can outside in the sun too.
Someone will prob'ly recommend an ozone generator....and that may turn out to be necessary to get rid of the mold/mildew spores. But NOT any of the retail "consumer" generators...they're not allowed to generate enough ozone to be more than a very expensive air freshener. Car dealers have systems that can do the job...try to find a detailer at one who'll moonlight on a weekend. Might cost you $100, but totally worth it.
There's a lot more, but this is enough to give you a good running start at the problem. You'll find a lot more useful information in my book...and I'm always glad to answer any questions it doesn't, here or one-on-one...so feel free to send me a PM.
If it does, you haven't found and eliminated all the odor sources...'cuz it's impossible to eliminate any odor unless you first eliminate the source. Once you have, you won't need the air freshener any more...really, you won't!
--Peggie
"If you can't explain it to a six year old, you don't completely understand it yourself." --Albert Einstein
Peggie,
Thank you for taking the time to explain this to me. There does seem to be some mold in the forward and aft berths - I think the hull liner vinyl needs replacing, as it's kind of hanging off in some places.
The ionizer idea is something I hadn't thought about, and you are a genius for recommending this.
You are so lovely, thank you so much.
Hannah
BigEasy,
Thank you for the advice. I'm so new to all of this that I simply entered the main cabin yesterday and the smell hit me right in the sinuses and nearly knocked me over. The smell was so powerful I just couldn't identify it or figure out where it was coming from. The frustrating thing about all of this is that our boat is 1.5 hours from our home, and I just couldn't do anything yesterday without a respirator, so I turned around and went home (defeated).
We are refitting her at the moment, and I made the mistake of piling stuff up in the forward V berth so that I could work on the main cabin - re-varnishing all the wood (which is a job I regret starting, but I know I'll be proud as punch when it's done).
You guys are so lovely - I can't thank you all enough for the advice you give, and for your patience in dealing with someone who has absolutely no idea what they are doing.
Hannah
I'm beginning to see that you are all so lovely on here. The boat was worth the price of admittance just to get to know you guys.
Peggie,
I just bought your book on Kindle - so looking forward to rooting out the cause of this stench.
Thank you again for all the advice,
Hannah
Hannah,
We’ve all been in your shoes at the beginning and we all keep learning from research, trial & error, experiences, and from each other! Hang in there!
Back to the odor problem....When I purchased my boat, it was located in Charleston. I asked the previous owner to pump & flush the holding tank before the haul out, but it didn’t get done. So the crud stayed in the tank for about 6 weeks in 90+ degree temps until it arrived in New Orleans. The odor in the cabin was so bad and forget going in the head......impossible. First order of business was to pump the crud from the tank and flush it and the sanitation hoses & treat, huge improvement. Got the cushions out and worked on them at home. Then cleaned the bilge spaces and finally all of the other cabinets, drawers, and surfaces. Took about a month working on weekends to get it cleaned. Everything else that needed attention had to wait because it was impossible to go below without becoming overwhelmed from the stench. So get your respirator and a couple of fans to ventilate and get to work. It will clean up nicely. And oh yea, don’t put the cushions back on board until they have been thoroughly cleaned and the cabin is odor free.
BigEasy,
Thank you. I often look around when I'm at the boat and think "I have no idea what I'm doing, I wonder if all the other owners can see it on my face?" (not that it would matter to me if they could see it)
The soft furnishings - I'm going to remove them completely. The covers will be washed and then assessed to see if they can be saved. The cushions will be tossed in the trash, as will the mattresses for the berths. However, before ditching the mattresses, I will use them as templates for some memory foam.
The holding tank seems to be full - and this will have to be dealt with.
Thank you again,
Han
The bad thing about buying a used boat, and especially when you're new to sailing is that there is a steep learning curve with regards to learning to sail and dealing with the maintenance and repair issues. Admittedly, it was much easier, although still a lot of work, on my second boat vs the first one. Funny thing about other owners, there are a few of them that really do know what they are doing because they have done extensive overhauls, work in the industry, and have extensive sailing experience, then there is the majority who don't know what the hell their doing!! Me, I'm somewhere in the middle of the pack!!!
Don't give up on the cushions & mattresses, unless they are flat worn out and the foam is degraded. Your boat is only 1 or 2 years older than mine. The upholstery and cushions on mine were OK; just smelled awful. I removed the covers and soaked the cushions in a mild bleach solution and woolite in a kiddy wading pool, rinsed with clean water and let them dry in the sun for a few days. After they dried, I replaced the covers and cleaned them with same solution (not in the pool), rinsed, vacuumed off water, let them dry again in the sun for a couple days and finally sprayed with Scotch guard. I had some concerns about the covers shrinking and not being able to get them to fit again, so that's why I did it in the manner in which I did. My cushion weren't "worn out" so it worked out well saving some money and time in the process. The odor was totally eliminated!
Don't give up on the cushions & mattresses, unless they are flat worn out and the foam is degraded. Your boat is only 1 or 2 years older than mine. The upholstery and cushions on mine were OK; just smelled awful. I removed the covers and soaked the cushions in a mild bleach solution and woolite in a kiddy wading pool, rinsed with clean water and let them dry in the sun for a few days. After they dried, I replaced the covers and cleaned them with same solution (not in the pool), rinsed, vacuumed off water, let them dry again in the sun for a couple days and finally sprayed with Scotch guard. I had some concerns about the covers shrinking and not being able to get them to fit again, so that's why I did it in the manner in which I did. My cushion weren't "worn out" so it worked out well saving some money and time in the process. The odor was totally eliminated!
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We had the "briny deep" smell in ours. We own a commercial laundry-mat. We cut the mattress foam in half and put in a 60 lb washer and soap washed, sanitized with Lysol and repeated that 4 times.
No Luck.
We bought the memory foam with "cooling bumps", since we sail a bit further south.
We used the pattern and it fit inside the washable OEM zipper mattress cover.
But eventually had to add second "free layer" under the mattress and velcro'd that "free layer" to the deck cover to keep it from sliding around.
But the real key to cabin odors is...
Stop all exterior to interior water leaks!
It took us about 2 years to find the last one. The main reason was an unbelievable final spot.
There are lot of tips and tricks to locating any leaks on SBO.
Jim...
jssailem
SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John
- Oct 22, 2014
- 22,914
HanBan you can help the issue, by reducing the moisture. Get a dehumidifier unit at Lowes or your choice of stores.
I have one on my boat and it does a great job of keeping the air less humid, less inviting to mold and mildew.
It has a fitting to connect a hose that can be connected to a drain.
I have one on my boat and it does a great job of keeping the air less humid, less inviting to mold and mildew.
It has a fitting to connect a hose that can be connected to a drain.
I've had boat smells , change out all the sanitation hose with a good one don't go cheap use trident 101. wash all the bilge out with bleach. There are companies that use ozone gas to kill mold , smoke after fires any smells.
You can buy a generator on ebay for under a hundred bucks with built in timer. You set the timer and get out shut the boat up and come back after a couple of hours the gas is toxic to humans and animals but kills all mold, destroys any odors even in furniture.When I had my boat up north there was a company using this to rid boats of mold.
You can buy a generator on ebay for under a hundred bucks with built in timer. You set the timer and get out shut the boat up and come back after a couple of hours the gas is toxic to humans and animals but kills all mold, destroys any odors even in furniture.When I had my boat up north there was a company using this to rid boats of mold.
The sense of smell is relative. Whether something smells or not is relative to your environment. Go out to sea away from land for a few days and the boat smell you complain about will disappear. I do need to warn you that as you return you will feel the most offensive smell of land.
Hannah,
As others said, Peggie is definitely a wealth of knowledge! I realize I'm replying to an old thread, but I wanted to post in case anyone else comes across this and finds it helpful.
It doesn't take much water at all in the bilge to cause a musty/moldy smell. When I bought my boat, I pulled everything out so I could see all parts of the boat. Then, I went when I knew it was going to be pouring down rain and I went through the boat with an *extremely* bright flashlight (I used my scuba dive light) and literally went through every hatch, every window, every screw and was able to identify 5 tiny leaks. I was really surprised because none of them left a trail or any marks so I literally would have *never* found them otherwise.
All 5 leaks were easily fixed and I've literally not had a single drop of water in the bilge since even though it rains a lot here. The important thing is to use the correct method to fix the leaks. A lot of people just slap silicon on and resign themselves to always having leaks. Maybe I'm still new to this, but I will never let a leak go unchecked because water causes a tremendous amount of damage, slowly tearing things down, just like my mother. Ha!
The other users turned me onto this book for all things sailboat maintenance related, and he has a terrific chapter on what types of products to use for what types of leaks/adhesion/etc:
https://www.amazon.com/Boatowners-Mechanical-Electrical-Manual-Essential-ebook/dp/B006QA720O
Once I had all my tiny little leaks fixed, I wiped down the entire inside of the boat with a very mild bleach solution (like 95% water, 5% bleach) and aired it out really well. (For the parts I couldn't reach, I sprayed the solution from a bottle. It's important that you don't mix it too strong or use too much because you don't want any run off going into the marine environment.
As others said, Peggie is definitely a wealth of knowledge!
I realize I'm replying to an old thread, but I wanted to post in case anyone else comes across this and finds it helpful.It doesn't take much water at all in the bilge to cause a musty/moldy smell. When I bought my boat, I pulled everything out so I could see all parts of the boat. Then, I went when I knew it was going to be pouring down rain and I went through the boat with an *extremely* bright flashlight (I used my scuba dive light) and literally went through every hatch, every window, every screw and was able to identify 5 tiny leaks. I was really surprised because none of them left a trail or any marks so I literally would have *never* found them otherwise.
All 5 leaks were easily fixed and I've literally not had a single drop of water in the bilge since even though it rains a lot here. The important thing is to use the correct method to fix the leaks. A lot of people just slap silicon on and resign themselves to always having leaks. Maybe I'm still new to this, but I will never let a leak go unchecked because water causes a tremendous amount of damage, slowly tearing things down, just like my mother. Ha!
The other users turned me onto this book for all things sailboat maintenance related, and he has a terrific chapter on what types of products to use for what types of leaks/adhesion/etc:
https://www.amazon.com/Boatowners-Mechanical-Electrical-Manual-Essential-ebook/dp/B006QA720O
Once I had all my tiny little leaks fixed, I wiped down the entire inside of the boat with a very mild bleach solution (like 95% water, 5% bleach) and aired it out really well. (For the parts I couldn't reach, I sprayed the solution from a bottle. It's important that you don't mix it too strong or use too much because you don't want any run off going into the marine environment.